Locking device for motor vehicles



April 1929- J. R. VEDDER LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES Filed Aug. 1927 %V VEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

JOSEPH R. VEIDDER, F READING, OHIO.

LOCKING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

Application filed August 8, 1927.

My invention relates to locking devices for automotive vehicles, and specifically to a locking device which combines the locking of the ignition in combination with the looking of a guard which makes the spark plugs inaccessible. v

There are many different types of ignition locks, but I have found that with the battery accessible and the spark plugs accessible, that irrespective of the perfection with which the ignition may be looked, that a skillful thief cancircumvent the lock by in-v serting a new set of wires either from the distributor, or the battery directly to the spark plugs, and thereby steal the car with the lock still locked.

It is the object of my invention to provide a locking device which will have incorporated in it an ignition lock, with a guard which will make the spark plugs inaccessible also controlled by interconnecting mechanism from the ignition locking device.

In the preferred arrangement illustrated I have provided an ignition clock which breaks the individual circuit to each spark plug.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of the device with portions thereof shown in section.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic section such as would be indicated along the lines 22 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a front face elevation of the ignition contact block.

The drawings indicate a six cylinder motor vehicle in which the cylinder block is indicated at 1. Extending up from the cylinder block and preferably bolted thereto with the cylinder block nuts 2 is the casing 3. The casing has angle pieces 4 on one side with which angle pieces 5 extending from the guard plate 6 are adapted to interlock as indicated in Figure 2. The edge of the plate 6 abuts the casing 3 when the plate is in locked position. The guard plate has a flanged side 7 which fits into a channel made by a side wall of the casing and a locking piece 7 which is preferably welded to the casing wall. The flanged side 7 has a series of holes 8 through which locking bolts 9 extend, and the locking piece also has holes 10 which register with the holes 8 when the guard plate is in place. The locking bolts 9 have orifices therein which retain the cocentric discs 11 which are mounted on a Serial No. 211,408.

shaft 12. The shaft extends back under the hood and through the dash board of the ve-v hicle. The end of the shaft which extends through the dash board is preferably recessed, thereby providing a portion 13'of sufficiently small diameter to axially mount a thumb nut 14 which is driven thereon with a press fit. The thumb nut has a T shaped spiral groove 14 recessed in the inner periphery thereof, which serves for the introduction of a key. The locking device on the dash has a casing 15 with a collar 16 driven therein with a press fit. The collar rotatably retains another collar 16 which is keyed to the bore of the thumb nut asindicated at 17-. The thumb nut bore is also keyed to the shaft 12 as indicated at 18. The locking device consists of a pair of tumblers 19, 20, which are spring pressed inwardly by a spring 21. In order to rotate the thumb nut in the fixed collar,it is necessary to insort the spiral key in the key hole 22 and press down on the inner tumbler until its outer end is in alignment with the outer end of the bore of the thumb nut. WVithout the key in place the outer tumbler will extend across from the collar 16 and interlock in the hole in the thumb nut, thereby interlocking the inner tumbler 20;

vVhile I have shown a preferred type of lock, any other type may be substituted therefor as will be readily observed.

The ignition cut-ofl consists of a plate 23 having a recessed portion 24 which retains an eccentric disc 25 also mounted on the shaft 12. With the turning of the shaft 12, the plate 23 is moved slidably within the sealed casing 26. The plate carries contact bars 27 and as the vehicle illustrated has six spark plugs, there will be one bar for each spark plug. The cable from the distributor is indicated at 28 and terminal posts 29 have spring clips 30 attached thereto through which the current passes to the spark plugs, as may readily be observed by referring to Figure 1, when the plate 23 is moved so that the contact bars bridge the gap between the spring clips. When the plate is moved in one direction by the rotation of the shaft 12, the contact will be made with the spark plugs. When the shaft 12 is rotated in reverse direction, the contacts will all be broken, and the vehicle cannot be operated. 1

The operation of my novel locking device is as follows: With the keywithin the keyhole,

the shaft 12 may be rotated by means of the thumb nut and the contact to the spark plugs ignition cut-oil's may be used, and other types of locks and keys used in a similar arrangement. While I have shown a specific arrangement, to the best of my knowledge and belief no one has heretofore made a locking device which breaks the circuit to each" of the spark plugs and at the same time locks a guard plate so'that the spark plugs will not be available for tampering.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In combination in a motor vehicle havingan internal combustion engine, a casing, a cover for the casing, means for securing the casing on the engine so as to enclose the spark plugs, means for locking the cover on the casing, means for breaking the circuit to each spark plug, and a unit control for said locking means and said circuit breaking means, said control having a locking device operatively connected therewith, said unitcontrol comprising a rotat able shaft with eccentrics thereon by which said lockingmeansiand said circuit breaking means may be actuated.

2. A circuit breaking device for the ignition of an automobile comprising a series of spaced aligned terminals inthe ignition, a closed compartment housing said terminals, circuits to the several spark plugs, a sliding plate having a series of spaced contact bars extending therethrough, and means for moving said plate from the drivcrs position so as to cause the bars to establish circuits between the terminals.

8. A circuit breaking device for the ignition of an automobile comprising a series of spaced aligned terminals in the ignition, a closed, compartment housing said terminals, circuits to the several spark plugs, a sliding plate having a series of spaced contact bars extending therethrough, and means "for moving said plate from the drivers position so as to cause the'bars to. establish circuits between the terminals,'the en gine of said automobile having-a casing, and sand means havlng devices operatlvely'connected therewith for locking said casing.

JOSEPH R. YEDDER. 

